There are many domestic and commercial water filtration systems in use, ranging from small filtration units that connect to a faucet, to complex filtration systems functioning at the level of water mains. These systems often incorporate membrane filters operating on the principle of reverse osmosis where water passes through a membrane which excludes impurities within the water while allowing the water to pass through. Reverse osmosis filters are highly effective and enjoy wide popularity, but the process has several inherent disadvantages that many filtration systems have difficulty addressing.
In order for water to pass through the many membrane layers found inside membrane filters in sufficient volume, the water must be pressurized. Unfortunately, the water sources which filtration systems draw water from often provide water at pressures insufficient for effective reverse osmosis filtration. Some reverse osmosis filtration systems incorporate pumps to force water through the membrane filters, but these systems are incapable of producing purified water if the pump ceases to operate. Furthermore, the rate by which purified water is produced is often insufficient to keep up with the rate of water consumption. Reverse osmosis membranes are also subject to clogging as impurities accumulate within the filter. Some systems seek to prevent clogging by flushing the impurities from the filter using water, but the flushing process can result in significant inefficiency if a system produces too much waste water in proportion to purified water.
Therefore, there is a need for a water filtration system which addresses the disadvantages inherent in the reverse osmosis process through improved pump, filtration, and water storage mechanisms.
In the present disclosure, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which the present disclosure is concerned.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate the present disclosure, no technical aspects are disclaimed and it is contemplated that the claims may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.